| Date: Tue 13-Sep-1994 Paper Page: 3 Publication: Daily Nation Writer: Antoinette Connell TORRENTIAL RAINS over the weekend have temporarily washed away a problem faced by small farmers at Three Houses, St. Philip. Seven farmers filed court action against landowner John Marshall after the watercourse of the Three Houses Spring was blocked. But the two-week-old injunction against Marshall was ignored and the sluice erected. Queen's Counsel John Connell, who is representing the farmers, said his clients were prepared to go to the Privy Council to get satisfaction if the first motion failed. The farmers have claimed the blockage has been preventing them from earning a living and has been erected to encourage bird shooting. But the farmers have added another twist to the confrontation. They are refusing to buy anything Marshall has connection with, including products of Bottlers Ltd., of whose board he is chairman. They are also saying that they will boycott a hardware company with which he is associated. Connell said that although the sluice was down because of bad weather that did not change anything. He explained that the law provided for persons living downstream to have access to the spring. However, those who live upstream could temporarily use it but must return it in the same condition as before. Farmer Miriam Burke said her colleagues and she were glad for the relief, which they felt might be short but was very much appreciated. |